Thursday, April 30, 2020

Pelosi Suggests Biden Does Not Need to ‘Directly’ Address Reade Allegation: ‘I’m Satisfied with How He Has Responded’

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Pelosi Suggests Biden Does Not Need to ‘Directly’ Address Reade Allegation: ‘I’m Satisfied with How He Has Responded’House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) on Thursday dismissed the notion that vice president Joe Biden should “directly, publicly” respond to sexual-assault allegations made by his former Senate staffer, saying in an interview that she was "satisfied with how he has responded."Speaking to CNN, Pelosi defended Biden after she was asked if Biden should answer the allegation “head-on” and by “himself.”“I’m satisfied with how he has responded,” Pelosi said, adding she was “very proud to endorse him.”“It’s a matter that he has to deal with, but I am impressed with the people who worked for him at the time saying that they absolutely never heard one iota of information about this, nobody ever brought forth a claim or had anybody else tell them about such a claim,” she stated.> Nancy Pelosi was asked on @CNN about the Biden sexual assault allegation and she defended him.> > "He’s a person of great values, integrity, authenticity, imagination, and connection to the American people," Pelosi said, adding that she's "satisfied with how he has responded." pic.twitter.com/gaDt8Ki7oR> > -- Mike Brest (@MikeBrestDC) April 30, 2020While Biden’s campaign has strongly denied the allegations of Biden’s accuser, Tara Reade, the former vice president has not said anything publicly about the situation. The New York Times said Wednesday that talking points about the allegation that had been circulated by the campaign "inaccurately suggest" the paper concluded that Reade’s claims were false.Reade has said that she complained about the incident to Biden staffers at the time, who have denied that she ever approached them. But last week, a 1993 clip from CNN’s Larry King Live showed a woman calling in about “problems” her daughter had had with a U.S. senator. Reade, who had previously told The Intercept that such a tape existed, identified the woman as her mother. Earlier this week, one of Reade’s former neighbors came forward and said Reade told her about details of the allegation in the mid-1990s.Biden’s top female surrogates and prospective vice presidential candidates have also defended the former vice president. “I believe women deserve to be heard, and I believe that has happened here,” former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said on Tuesday, apparently referencing the campaign’s talking points about the Times article.Reade has said that she has been surprised by the dismissals of her claims in the “MeToo” era. News surfaced Wednesday that a letter asking Biden to address Reade's claims was drafted by national women’s advocacy groups, only for the letter to not be publicly released after the Biden campaign learned of it.“I was just hoping to get a fair and equal treatment,” Reade told National Review. “But because it’s Joe Biden I’ve been silenced or smeared.”




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California closes Orange County beaches where crowds defied coronavirus guidelines

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California closes Orange County beaches where crowds defied coronavirus guidelinesCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered beaches in Orange County in the southern part of the state to close, after crowds defied public health guidelines to throng the popular shoreline last weekend. The move came after Newsom complained that beachgoers could hasten the spread of the coronavirus in California, delaying the state's ability to ease public health restrictions even as millions of people in the most-populous U.S. state obey the stay-at-home rules imposed in March. Newsom's decision to close the Orange County beaches, announced at his daily coronavirus briefing, stood in contrast to media reports, including by Reuters, that the Democratic governor planned to close all parks and beaches in the state.




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Philippines rejects China's territorial label on island

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Philippines rejects China's territorial label on islandThe Philippines protested on Thursday China’s designation of a disputed South China Sea reef, which it has turned into a heavily fortified island base, as a Chinese “administrative center.” The Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement objecting to what it called China’s “illegal designation” of Fiery Cross Reef as a regional administrative center in the hotly contested Spratly archipelago. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China last week of taking advantage of widespread distraction over the pandemic to advance its territorial claims.




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Class action suit aims to free all transgender ICE detainees

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Class action suit aims to free all transgender ICE detaineesAs hundreds of coronavirus cases are reported at U.S. immigration facilities, the suit calls for the release of dozens of trans migrants from what it calls ICE “death traps.”




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Trump begins day with Twitter meltdown over newly released Michael Flynn FBI note

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Trump begins day with Twitter meltdown over newly released Michael Flynn FBI noteDonald Trump began his Thursday with a barrage of tweets defending Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser, after Mr Flynn’s attorneys released documents that they believe show the FBI tried to entrap him.A note, written in January 2017 by then-counterintelligence director Bill Priestap, ponders how to approach Mr Flynn’s questioning. “What’s our goal?” asks Mr Priestap. "Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?"




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Everyone has to accept that Tesla is worth $150 billion precisely because Elon Musk doesn't behave like any other CEO in the business

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Everyone has to accept that Tesla is worth $150 billion precisely because Elon Musk doesn't behave like any other CEO in the businessTesla CEO Elon Musk attacked coronavirus-pandemic shelter-in-place orders, demanding a restoration of "freedom."




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Trump praise of 'tormented' Flynn raises pardon speculation

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Trump praise of 'tormented' Flynn raises pardon speculationPresident Donald Trump voiced strong support Thursday for his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, raising speculation that a pardon may be coming after Flynn's lawyers disclosed internal FBI documents they claim show the FBI tried to “intentionally frame" him. “It looks to me like Michael Flynn would be exonerated based on everything I see,” Trump told reporters Thursday. Trump has long said he is considering pardoning Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States.




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Gov. Andrew Cuomo showed a mural of donated masks to New York. Then social media weighed in

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo showed a mural of donated masks to New York. Then social media weighed inNew York Cov. Andrew Cuomo displayed hundreds of donated masks sent to his office from across the country. It drew mixed reviews.




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Visa Warns It Will Be Challenged ‘for a Number of Quarters’

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Visa Warns It Will Be Challenged ‘for a Number of Quarters’(Bloomberg) -- Visa Inc. Chief Executive Officer Al Kelly warned the firm will be challenged “for a number of quarters” even as declines in spending on its network began to moderate in April.As the U.S. government began sending out stimulus payments to millions of consumers this month, Visa saw an increase in spending on home improvement, automotive and some areas of health care. Still, spending on the firm’s cards in the U.S. has dropped 19% in April compared with the same period a year earlier, according to Chief Financial Officer Vasant Prabhu.To offset the slowdown in spending on its cards, Visa said expenses in the second half of the year would be flat compared with the same period a year ago. The company, which has vowed it won’t make any virus-related layoffs this year, said costs rose 4% to $1.93 billion in the first three months of the year, below the $2.02 billion average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.“We are pulling back on discretionary spending, especially related to personnel, travel, professional services and marketing,” Kelly said Thursday on a conference call with analysts after Visa announced fiscal second-quarter results.More than one-fifth of the U.S. spending on Visa’s network comes from food and drug stores, Walmart Inc., Costco Wholesale Corp. and Target Corp. -- and that’s the only category to post an increase in April, climbing 20%. Spending on items like telecommunications, utilities, insurance and business supplies and equipment has been flat in April.Cross-border spending -- among the most lucrative transactions for Visa and its rival Mastercard Inc. -- fell 2% in the quarter ended March 31 as global travel ground to a halt. Still, declines in such spending moderated later, Visa said in a presentation on its website.“Although the road ahead will likely be challenging for a number of quarters, our business model is resilient,” Kelly said, adding that the firm renewed several partnerships in the period.Visa inked a new co-brand card deal with China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd., which operates WeChat, the messaging app used by more than 1 billion people. The firm also renewed and expanded its partnership with Truist Financial Corp.Visa said net revenue in the quarter rose 7% to $5.85 billion, in line with analyst expectations. Profit climbed 4% to $3.08 billion, or $1.38 a share, topping the $1.34 average of analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.The shares fell 0.4% to $178 at 6:02 p.m. in late trading in New York. They ended regular New York trading at $178.72, for a decline this year of about 5%.(Updates with card spending, expenses starting in second paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.




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Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Satellite images reveal Kim Jong-un may be at luxury family villa

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Satellite images reveal Kim Jong-un may be at luxury family villaNew satellite images showing the recent movements of luxury boats by Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, have provided further indications that he may be ensconced in his seaside villa in Wonsan, on the country’s east coast. The location of the reclusive leader has been a mystery since his unprecedented no-show at April 15 events to mark the birthday of his late grandfather and North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung. His absence, for the first time since he took power in 2011, unleashed a torrent of speculation about his health conditions, with unverified and conflicting reports claiming he was both recuperating from cardiovascular surgery and in “grave danger.” On Tuesday, commercial satellite imagery obtained by North Korea-monitoring website NK PRO showed boats often used by Kim had made movements in patterns that suggested he or his entourage may be in the Wonsan area. “Extensive analysis shows that similar leisure boat movements at an exclusive villa in Wonsan and a nearby island near the Kalma peninsula have aligned with Kim’s public appearances in the area in every one of a half-dozen instances since last summer, and many more dating back to 2013,” it said. The imagery adds to earlier satellite pictures studied by the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North, which appeared to show that a train similar to Kim’s was parked in the resort’s so-called “leadership station” reserved for the use of the Kim family a week ago.




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China to convene Congress, showing confidence in virus fight

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China to convene Congress, showing confidence in virus fightChina, taking a step toward a return to business as normal, announced Wednesday that its previously postponed national legislature session will be held in late May. The National People's Congress, delayed from early March because of the coronavirus outbreak, will start on May 22, the official Xinhua News Agency said. It wasn't immediately clear whether the 3,000 or so delegates would come to Beijing for what is the biggest political meeting of the year, or if it would be held virtually through videoconference.




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Footage shows Chicago police shooting unarmed man twice on subway escalator

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Footage shows Chicago police shooting unarmed man twice on subway escalatorVideo released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability have shown the moment Chicago police shot an unarmed man twice at a subway station.The footage from the Chicago Transit Authority and police body-cams demonstrate in detail how the shooting of Ariel Roman took place on 28 February after he was pulled up for violating a city ordinance.




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The U.S. and Iran Are Headed for a New Proxy War in Afghanistan

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The U.S. and Iran Are Headed for a New Proxy War in AfghanistanKARACHI—While the United States military and the White House are girding for a confrontation with Iran on the high seas or in Iraq, Afghanistan is an even more likely battleground.U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted last week, "I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea." The tweet followed the dangerous maneuvers on April 15 by Iranian naval vessels near U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf. The leader of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) promised a “crushing response” to any such action.The incident and the threats that followed show that even if most of the world’s attention is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a devastating impact on both Iran and the United States, the symptoms of a war in the making grow stronger by the day.Almost forgotten by the general public is the rocket attack on Camp Taji in Iraq last month that killed two American soldiers and one British serviceman. The camp hosts anti-ISIS coalition troops and NATO personnel. On the ground, the U.S retaliatory strikes against weapons storage sites in Iraq belonging to the pro-Iranian militia Kata'ib Hezbollah kept the war-fever high.On April 1, Trump said Iran was planning to attack American troops in Iraq."Upon information and belief,” he tweeted, echoing FBI legalese, “Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq. If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!"But Americans are even more vulnerable in Afghanistan, and it is likely to be the favored theater for Iran’s proxy attacks on U.S. personnel for several reasons.Trump, Afghanistan, and ‘The Tweet of Damocles’One of the first is that the head of the IRGC’s Quds Force, General Ismail Qaani, has experience there dating back almost a quarter of a century. The Quds Force spearheads Iran’s operations outside its borders, most often by training and organizing militias which are used in combat, covert ops, and terrorist activities to support Iran’s regional objectives. These include the influence, subversion, intimidation, or control of potentially hostile neighbors and the expulsion of outside forces.For years, the head of the Quds Force was Gen. Qassem Soleimani, known for his high-profile activities in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon—and his cult of personality inside Iran itself. When he was blown away by an American drone while on a visit to Baghdad in early January, Trump gloated, “He should have been taken out many years ago!”Qaani was appointed immediately to succeed Soleimani, whom he had served as deputy commander since the late 1990s. But while Soleimani had focused mainly on the countries to the west of Iran, Qaani worked on those to the east, especially Afghanistan.Today, Qaani is unlikely to miss the opportunity to strike the U.S. at such a vulnerable point. The Americans are currently battling to salvage the peace deal with the Afghan Taliban that would give Trump an exit from the “endless war” there before the U.S. elections in November. But the Taliban already have warned that the peace deal announced in February is near the breaking point. Iran does not have to push too hard to shatter the agreement amid growing violence and bitter differences between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Qaani, appointed as the deputy commander of the Quds Force in 1997, worked to back the Northern Alliance in the civil war against the Taliban in the 1990s at a time when the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency was trying to work with Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud as well. Al Qaeda’s murder of Massoud two days before its September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States turned all these relationships upside down. It’s not clear what role Qaani or Soleimani played at a time when Iran was cooperating with Washington to try to stabilize the Afghan situation in late 2001, but after then-President George W. Bush declared in early 2002 that Iran was part of the “Axis of Evil,” diplomatic rapprochement came to an end, and covert action, if it ever subsided, was renewed.More recently, Qaani made some trips to Afghanistan when the Liwa Fatemiyoun, sometimes known as the Fatemiyoun Brigade or Afghan Hezbollah, were at their height in 2018. Organized four years earlier, they were deployed by Iran to fight in the Syria war supporting Tehran’s ally Bashar al-Assad. Qaani visited Kabul in 2018 and held talks with Afghan government leaders President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, formerly of the Northern Alliance.Following the signing of the peace accord forged in Doha, Qatar, the U.S. has struggled to push the peace process forward. The U.S. and NATO allies agreed to withdraw all troops within 14 months in return for security assurances by the Taliban that Afghanistan would not be allowed to become a launching pad for global terrorist attacks. The U.S. has to reduce its forces in Afghanistan from about 13,000 to 8,600 within the first 135 days of the accord, but as the New York Times reported last month, that schedule has been complicated by coronavirus and quarantine concerns.On its face, the Quds Force-Taliban relationship is complicated given Iran’s previous backing for the Northern Alliance, but that was a long time ago, and ever since 9/11 Afghanistan has seen changing client and proxy relationships, some of them public, some not.“An open alliance between Iran and the Taliban would surely be viewed as a betrayal by many Afghans, even if shifting alliances is the nature of Afghanistan,” Sam Hendricks of the Lowy Institute in Sydney told The Daily Beast.“On the whole,” Hendricks said, “Iran has been remarkably restrained in its dealings in Afghanistan since 2001—and its own betrayal by the U.S. after Iranian support in defeating the Taliban and convening the Bonn process [to build a stable government], soon after which it was labeled part of the Axis of Evil.”Now, said Hendricks, Iran “seems to have an opportunity to strike the U.S. at a very vulnerable point.” Among Qaani’s tools are the thousands of fighters from the battle hardened Liwa Fatemiyoun, made up mainly of members of Afghanistan’s Shi’ite Hazara minority, in addition to any tacit or covert cooperation with the Taliban themselves.More than in Iraq, more than in the waters of the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, Iran is positioned in its eastern neighbor to make the Americans suffer as they try to extract themselves. The only real question is whether Iran wants them out of Afghanistan sooner or later.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.




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Kentucky's governor apologized to a man named Tupac Shakur after he accused him of using a fake name to file for unemployment

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Kentucky's governor apologized to a man named Tupac Shakur after he accused him of using a fake name to file for unemploymentGov. Andy Beshear called out a man named Tupac Shakur as using a fake name to reap state benefits, but Shakur is a real person living in Kentucky.




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Israel marks its Independence Day under coronavirus lockdown

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Israel marks its Independence Day under coronavirus lockdownIsraelis celebrated their Independence Day at home Wednesday amid a nationwide lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The national holiday, which honors the creation of Israel after the end of the British Mandate in 1948, is usually a festive occasion, with people heading to the beach, hosting barbecues and watching fireworks. The Israeli air force devoted its annual fly-by to health workers, with four planes crisscrossing the nation and performing aerial acrobatics over hospitals and medical centers.




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Reversing course, House won't return to D.C. next week because of coronavirus threat

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Reversing course, House won't return to D.C. next week because of coronavirus threat"We made a judgment that we will not come back next week," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said in a phone call with reporters.




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The US is 'slightly' past its first peak, but expert says the pandemic is far from over

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The US is 'slightly' past its first peak, but expert says the pandemic is far from overDr. Tom Inglesby said some states are experiencing a decline in cases, while half of the country is still seeing a rise in daily numbers.




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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Ignorance, fear, whispers: North Korean defectors say contacts in the dark about Kim

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Ignorance, fear, whispers: North Korean defectors say contacts in the dark about KimDefectors from North Korea say many of their relatives and contacts were unaware of the international speculation over leader Kim Jong Un's health or were unwilling to discuss the issue in clandestine calls made from the South. Two defectors told Reuters their relatives in North Korea did not know that Kim has been missing from public view for almost two weeks, said they didn't want to discuss the issue, or abruptly hung up when the supreme leader was mentioned. Kim's health is a state secret in insular North Korea and speculation about him or his family can invite swift retribution.




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Mexico Has Deported Nearly All Illegal Immigrants from Shelters to Contain Coronavirus

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Mexico Has Deported Nearly All Illegal Immigrants from Shelters to Contain CoronavirusMexico said it has just over 100 people remaining in its government migrant centers after removing thousands over the past five weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) said in a statement that it had removed migrants from 65 government facilities since March 21, following health and safety guidelines amid the coronavirus outbreak. Last month, the Mexican government held 3,759 people, but that number has shrunk to 106 after 3,653 migrants were deported to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.Those remaining in INM centers are awaiting the decisions on asylum requests or judicial hearings, or had asked permission to stay, a migration official told Reuters.Last week, the Trump administration announced an executive order that would suspend permanent immigration procedures for 60 days, after saying in March that it would immediately deport any illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country over concerns of potential coronavirus outbreaks in detention facilities. Reuters found earlier this month that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection have removed nearly 7,000 migrants to Mexico, including nearly 400 children.“President Trump is committed to protecting the health and economic well-being of American citizens as we face unprecedented times,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Monday. “As President Trump has said, ‘Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African-American and Latino workers.’ At a time when Americans are looking to get back to work, action is necessary.”Democrats around the country, including in California and Chicago, have countered with proposals to provide illegal immigrants with access to locally run relief programs.“Here in Chicago, saying ‘we are all in this together’ means that during this crisis, no one gets left out and no one gets left behind,” Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot said in announcing an executive order to secure coronavirus relief benefits for undocumented city residents.




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Erdogan defends Turkey religious chief's anti-gay sermon

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Erdogan defends Turkey religious chief's anti-gay sermonTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday defended a top religious official who claimed homosexuality caused diseases, corrupted people and was condemned in Islamic teaching. Ali Erbas, head of a state-funded agency called the Diyanet, which runs mosques and appoints imams, also claimed during his weekly sermon that homosexuality caused HIV. The Ankara bar association of lawyers accused him of inciting hatred against gay people while ignoring child abuse and misogyny.




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'Naked concerns': Doctors strip down to protest lack of protective equipment

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'Naked concerns': Doctors strip down to protest lack of protective equipmentIn one of the photos a doctor holds up a sign which reads in German, “I learned to sew wounds. Why do I now need to know how to sew masks?”




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Scientists are perplexed by the low rate of coronavirus hospitalizations among smokers. Nicotine may hold the answer.

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Scientists are perplexed by the low rate of coronavirus hospitalizations among smokers. Nicotine may hold the answer.No experts are remotely advocating for people to take up smoking to prevent COVID-19, but some researchers have theorized nicotine may be playing some role in keeping the virus at bay, Vice reports. That's because there's a surprisingly low rate of smokers among coronavirus hospitalizations.In France, for example, 25 percent of the population smokes, but only 5.3 percent of coronavirus patients have been recorded as smokers, and studies have found low rates in China and New York City, as well.Greek cardiologist and tobacco harm-reduction specialist Konstantinos Farsalinos thinks nicotine (crucially, not tobacco) might be lessening the intensity of cytokine storms, an overreaction of the body's immune system which seems to be the cause of the most severe coronavirus symptoms. French researchers have a slightly altered theory that nicotine prevents the virus from entering cells (the difference lies in the type of receptors the virus latches onto), and they're hoping to test out nicotine patches on patients to see if they help fight off COVID-19. The French government suspended the online sale of patches to make sure people don't buy in bulk and try to treat themselves that way.The seemingly out-there theory has piqued the interest of scientists across the world, though many are urging caution. The lower rates could be a result of some other chemical in tobacco producing a protective effect, or it could be that the number of smokers is being underreported."Smokers who have developed chronic disease have likely quit because of their disease," Michael Siegel, a community health sciences professor at Boston University, said. "Many of the smokers who are continuing to smoke are doing so because they don't have disease yet. So this would be expected to skew the sample of hospitalized patients toward people who do not smoke." Read more at Vice.More stories from theweek.com Movies that debut on streaming and not in theaters can be eligible for the Oscars next year How Democrats blew up MeToo Pence refused a mask at Mayo Clinic because he wanted to thank workers by 'looking them in the eye'




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What's open and closed this week: Beaches, parks and trails in Southern California

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What's open and closed this week: Beaches, parks and trails in Southern CaliforniaSo long as Southern Californians remain close to home and wear masks outdoors, they can still exercise outdoors without violating Gov.




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There's going to be a huge glut of toilet paper after the coronavirus panic-buying subsides, a supply chain expert says

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There's going to be a huge glut of toilet paper after the coronavirus panic-buying subsides, a supply chain expert saysToilet paper manufacturers have ramped up production to meet the unprecedented demand, but may be left with a huge surplus in the coming months.




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South Korean official says Kim Jong Un may be avoiding public due to 'coronavirus concerns'

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South Korean official says Kim Jong Un may be avoiding public due to 'coronavirus concerns'South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Kim's absence was not "particularly unusual" in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.




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Trump ‘can't imagine why’ there are increased reports of people misusing disinfectants

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Trump ‘can't imagine why’ there are increased reports of people misusing disinfectantsPresident Trump on Monday said he "can't imagine why" there have been more reports of people misusing disinfectants after his comments on the subject last week.




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Monday, April 27, 2020

Two missing Maryland women with ties to murder suspects believed to be together and in danger

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Heather Grogg and Danielle Tyler were last seen in Carroll County, Maryland on April 6, 2020. Authorities believe they are together and believe them to be in critical danger. Heather and Danielle both have ties to three men who were recently arrested in connection to the murder of a Maryland man on March 18. The Maryland State Police and FBI Pittsburgh are investigating.

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'Extremely disappointing' and 'entirely predictable' — slowdowns and lockouts plague second round of PPP

  April 27, 2020      No comments   Edit
Some of the nation's larger banks had more than 1 million applications for over $100 billion ready to go by 10:30 a.m., all backlog from the first round of applicants.

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Bloomberg to pay laid-off staffers' health care through November amid lawsuits, public pressure

  April 27, 2020      No comments   Edit
Mike Bloomberg is agreeing to pay for health care through November for the more than 2,000 campaign staffers he laid off after suspending his presidential bid as he faces public pressure and multiple lawsuits.

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OOTP Season Sim Game 28: Jays lose to Red Sox

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There was a bit of news from Triple-A Buffalo: Sean Reid-Foley went on the IL with a strained forearm and will be out about 3 weeks. It is funny, in my OOTP game the Jays starting rotation has been killed off with injuries. In this on the Bisons’ rotation is the one with the problems.



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Sunday, April 26, 2020

White House considering scaling back Trump's daily coronavirus briefings in coming weeks

  April 26, 2020      No comments   Edit
Talk of cutting down the president’s daily briefings heated up after he suggested injecting disinfectant as a potential virus treatment, but the decision ultimately rests with him.

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French coronavirus deaths reach 22,856 as government eyes how to ease lockdown

  April 26, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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French coronavirus deaths reach 22,856 as government eyes how to ease lockdownThe death toll in France from the coronavirus has risen by 242 to 22,856, the health ministry said on Sunday, as the government prepares to see how it might ease a national lockdown that has been in place since mid-March. While the number of deaths from the virus has risen, the rate at which the casualties have mounted has steadily fallen over the last two weeks, emboldening those who want France to start to lift the lockdown measures. The numbers of people leaving intensive care units (ICUs) has also outpaced the numbers of those entering those units.




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Fact check: Hospitals get paid more if patients listed as COVID-19, on ventilators

  April 26, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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Fact check: Hospitals get paid more if patients listed as COVID-19, on ventilatorsHospitals are paid more for Medicare patients with COVID-19, but a senator who first said that says he doesn't think the system is being gamed.




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Nearly 150 total coronavirus cases confirmed on cruise ship in Japan

  April 26, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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Nearly 150 total coronavirus cases confirmed on cruise ship in JapanNearly 150 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed among crew members of an Italian cruise ship docked in Japan after health authorities finished testing everyone on board, an official said on Saturday. The Nagasaki prefecture official said 57 more crew had tested positive, bringing the total infections on board the Costa Atlantica to 148, roughly one quarter of the vessel's 623 crew members. Authorities began testing after one crew member tested positive for the virus earlier this week.




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Yemen crisis deepens as separatists declare self-governance

  April 26, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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Yemen crisis deepens as separatists declare self-governanceYemeni separatists early Sunday declared self-rule of the country's south as a peace deal with the government crumbled, complicating a long and separate conflict with Huthi rebels who control much of the north. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) accused the government of failing to perform its duties and of "conspiring" against the southern cause, and said self-governance had begun at midnight. The government condemned the move and said the separatists -- who have long agitated for independence in the south -- would be responsible for the "catastrophic and dangerous" outcome.




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A pastor and protester clashed over coronavirus restrictions. One was arrested

  April 26, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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A pastor and protester clashed over coronavirus restrictions. One was arrestedThe debate over constitutional rights and religious freedoms in the COVID-19 age is playing out at an Evangelical church in Louisiana.




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America Can’t Face China Alone

  April 26, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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America Can’t Face China AloneYou can’t beat something with nothing. But America seems determined to try.America’s attempt to integrate China into the global economy as a “responsible stakeholder” failed. China’s economy has become more statist, its political system more repressive, its foreign policy more bullying, its ambitions more outsized than they were 20 years ago. China did not challenge American leadership directly. It altered the character of international institutions from within.The multilateral institutions that comprise the American-led liberal international order have been decaying for some time. Coronavirus has accelerated the deterioration. NATO, the United Nations, the European Union, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization — they are unresponsive, unaccountable, divided, demoralized, defunct. The world is a more dangerous place.We are used to autocratic domination of the U.N. General Assembly and the secretariat’s various commissions. No one bats an eye when Russia or China vetoes a Security Council measure. Less publicized were the concessions made to China as part of the Paris Climate Accord. Or the fact that the World Trade Organization treats the world’s second-largest economy as a “developing” nation. But the way Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director of the WHO, caviled and covered for Beijing as the coronavirus spread throughout the world is impossible to ignore. Drift, confusion, and chaos result.There are three options. The first is to work within the system to revitalize the existing structures. The second is to build alternative institutions. The third option is to do nothing.President Trump has tried a hybrid of options one and three. But with a twist. Where others might try a kind word or some quiet diplomacy to inspire reform and collaboration, he turns against the very institutions America created to force them to live up to their commitments. He browbeats NATO members into spending more on defense. He cheers for Brexit and supports the EU’s internal critics. He cripples the WTO’s arbitration mechanism and threatens to withdraw entirely. He suspends funding for the WHO.It’s the “America First” foreign policy Trump promised. And the results have been mixed. NAFTA was replaced. NATO budgets are up (for now). Mexico agreed to have asylum-seekers wait on its side of the border while their claims are adjudicated. China signed a “Phase One” trade deal.But there’s a cost. Allies may accede to your demands, but resentment builds. The foundations of the alliance weaken. Unpredictability inspires fear and caution. If sustained for too long, though, it conveys irresoluteness and fecklessness. Adversaries begin to probe. They buzz flights and collapse the oil price, resume shelling U.S. troops and harassing U.S. naval vessels, begin tailing container ships in the South China Sea.The democracies look inward. NATO is silent, the EU split, America distracted and distressed. China exploited this strategic vacuum. It launched a global disinformation campaign falsely assigning responsibility for the pandemic to the United States. Its agents pushed scurrilous and panic-inducing messages to U.S. cellphones saying that President Trump was about to impose a national lockdown policed by the National Guard. Its diplomatic “Wolf Warriors“ enforce the party line whenever foreign governments challenge Beijing’s preferred narrative.Chinese propaganda used to amplify achievements and repress criticism. Now it attacks directly overseas enemies of the state. The strategy, writes Laura Rosenberger in Foreign Affairs, “aims not so much to promote a particular idea as to sow doubt, dissension, and disarray — including among Americans — in order to undermine public confidence in information and prevent any common understanding of facts from taking hold.” It’s working.China isn’t invincible. It is reaping the economic whirlwind of the coronavirus it hid from the world. None of its neighbors are thrilled about the growth of Chinese power. Its internal political situation may be unstable. But the speed with which it has used the pandemic for geopolitical advantage is extraordinary. Look at how it plays favorites with its distribution of pharmaceuticals and personal protective equipment, how it stepped into the breach with a new flow of cash for its friend Dr. Tedros. Confronting China’s rise requires “a common understanding of facts,” and partners with whom to share those facts in common. These days, America is lacking in both.By all means, punish the World Health Organization for collaborating with China. But also be prepared to stand up another mechanism to do the good work its founders intended. Go ahead, demand allies live up to their commitments. But also recognize that partnerships of like-minded nations were critical to success in the First Cold War. This is the time to build new institutions that reflect the realities of a 21st century that pits liberal democracies against an authoritarian surveillance state. For every moment that passes without American leadership brings us closer to a world where the sun never sets on the five golden stars.




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Saudi eases coronavirus curfews, keeps 24-hour curfew in Mecca

  April 26, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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Saudi eases coronavirus curfews, keeps 24-hour curfew in MeccaSaudi Arabia eased curfews on Sunday across the country but kept 24-hour lockdowns in place in the city of Mecca and neighbourhoods previously put in isolation to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, state news agency SPA said. Outside Mecca and lockdown areas, curfews will be eased between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (0600-1400 GMT) until May 13.




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Red Sox 4, Twins 2: Sometimes the better pitcher still loses (simulated)

  April 26, 2020   , , , , ,   No comments   Edit
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Today’s lineups: MIN: Luis Arraez 2B, Jorge Polanco SS, Nelson Cruz DH, Miguel Sano 1B, Eddie Rosario LF, Josh Donaldson 3B, Mitch Garver C, Marwin Gonzalez RF, Byron Buxton CF, Lewis Thorpe P BOS: Jose Peraza 2B, Xander Bogaerts SS, J.D. Martinez DH, Rafael Devers 3B, Michael Chavis 1B, Andrew Benintendi LF, Alex Verdugo RF, Kevin Plawecki C, Jackie Bradley Jr CF, Ryan Weber P Lefty Lewis Thorpe made his 2020 debut for the Twins, and will be a member of the rotation for the foreseeable future.



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Saturday, April 25, 2020

Ten years later, no answers in Bay Shore woman's mysterious disappearance

  April 25, 2020      No comments   Edit
Jennifer Poole was last seen by her family in Central Islip, New York on April 28, 2010. A few days later, her sister went to her home in nearby Bay Shore, New York to check on her. The apartment was in disarray and there was blood splatter on the floor and walls. Jennifer’s purse and wallet were never found. Her bank account was not accessed. The Suffolk County Police Department is investigating.

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Unprecedented virus lockdown as Muslims mark sombre Ramadan

  April 25, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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Unprecedented virus lockdown as Muslims mark sombre RamadanMosques stood empty and fast-breaking feasts were cancelled as Muslims around the world began marking Ramadan under coronavirus lockdown on Friday, while a pushback in some countries sparked fears of a surge in infections. Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, was among those devoid of worshippers as the holy month got under way amid unprecedented bans on family gatherings and mass prayers. A stunning emptiness enveloped the sacred Kaaba -- a large cube-shaped structure in the Grand Mosque towards which Muslims around the world pray -- in the most potent sign of how the daytime fasting month will be a sombre affair across Muslim-majority nations.




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Michigan senator apologizes for wearing Confederate flag face mask

  April 25, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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Michigan senator apologizes for wearing Confederate flag face maskDale Zorn initially defended his actions, saying it was part of ‘our history’, but eventually apologized after widespread outrageA Republican politician in Michigan has apologized after wearing a face mask that appeared to depict the Confederate flag, an image offensive to many Americans as a symbol of racism and slavery.Michigan state Senator Dale Zorn wore the mask during a Senate vote at the state capitol in Lansing on Friday. He initially defended his actions, saying his wife had made the mask and that it depicted the flag of Tennessee or Kentucky.“I told my wife it probably will raise some eyebrows, but it was not a Confederate flag,” Zorn told Lansing TV station WLNS on Friday.He went on to add: “Even if it was a Confederate flag, you know, we should be talking about teaching our national history in schools and that’s part of our national history and it’s something we can’t just throw away because it is part of our history.”When Zorn was asked what the meaning of the Confederate flag is, he replied “the Confederacy”.> This is Dale Zorn. He is an elected member of the Michigan Senate. He wore a Confederate Flag mask on the floor of the Michigan Senate. Then he tried to tell us he didn't. > > THIS IS MICHIGAN, NOT MISSISSIPPI! > > Get that trash outta here. pic.twitter.com/uTOaBzweTO> > — Bryan Newland (@RealBNewland) April 25, 2020In fact, displaying the Confederate flag, or other symbols of the slave-owning south during the American civil war, is usually seen as racist. While some advocates claim they are celebrating southern identity and heritage, it is widely seen as a racist symbol deeply offensive to black Americans. Nor is it just flags. There is an ongoing campaign to remove Confederate war statues from public display or rename streets and buildings which commemorate Confederate generals or politicians.After sparking widespread outrage, Zorn issued an apology on Saturday.“I’m sorry for my choice of pattern on the face mask I wore yesterday on the Senate floor. I did not intend to offend anyone; however, I realize that I did, and for that I am sorry. Those who know me best know that I do not support the things this pattern represents,” he wrote on Twitter. “My actions were an error in judgment for which there are no excuses and I will learn from this episode.”A spokesperson for Michigan’s senate majority leader, Republican Mike Shirkey, said that Shirkey “would not support or encourage any senator to display an insensitive symbol on the Senate floor”.The leader of the Democrats in the Michigan senate, Jim Ananich, said: “I’m just really disappointed to see him make a choice that is deeply hurtful to so many people. When he was called out for it, he didn’t seem to even understand or acknowledge what the problem was.”Zorn was in Lansing on Friday to vote on measures that would increase oversight of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer’s powers during the Covid-19 pandemic.Michigan is one of a number of states that have attracted protests against stay-at-home orders during the pandemic. Zorn said he supported bipartisan oversight of Whitmer’s actions.




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NY man charged with hoarding tons of protective gear; jacking up price on masks and gowns

  April 25, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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NY man charged with hoarding tons of protective gear; jacking up price on masks and gownsFeds allege the man began marketing the products in mid-March as medical professionals scrambled to find gear to shield themselves from coronavirus.




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A 57-page memo urged GOP campaigns to blame China for the coronavirus pandemic and insist the term 'Chinese virus' isn't racist

  April 25, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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A 57-page memo urged GOP campaigns to blame China for the coronavirus pandemic and insist the term 'Chinese virus' isn't racistThe memo said Republicans shouldn't defend Trump's handling of the pandemic but should shift the conversation to blaming China.




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Navy admiral advises reinstatement of fired carrier captain

  April 25, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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Navy admiral advises reinstatement of fired carrier captainThe top Navy officer has recommended the reinstatement of the aircraft carrier captain fired for sending a fraught email to commanders pleading for faster action to protect his crew from a coronavirus outbreak, officials familiar with the investigation said Friday. Adm. Mike Gilday recommended that Navy Capt. Brett Crozier be returned to his ship, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the results of an investigation that have not yet been made public. If approved, his recommendation would end a drama that has rocked the Navy leadership, sent thousands of USS Theodore Roosevelt crew members ashore in Guam for quarantine and impacted the fleet across the Pacific, a region critical to America’s national security interests.




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A retired Kansas farmer had an extra N95 mask. He sent it to New York Gov. Cuomo.

  April 25, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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A retired Kansas farmer had an extra N95 mask. He sent it to New York Gov. Cuomo.A Kansas farmer whose letter captured the attention of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo discusses why he sent an N95 mask.




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Trump needs to 'run very close' for GOP to keep the Senate, Republican consultant warns

  April 25, 2020   ,   No comments   Edit
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Trump needs to 'run very close' for GOP to keep the Senate, Republican consultant warnsIt's not shocking that some Republicans are concerned about President Trump's re-election chances next November — polling, while early, suggests he's in for a real fight against former Vice President Joe Biden, and the country's struggles caused by the coronavirus pandemic have cast even greater doubt. But some members of the GOP are also growing more wary of the party's ability to hang on to the Senate, The New York Times reports.Recent surveys showed Republican senators in Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, and Maine are vulnerable. If those seats are lost and the other 96 remain steady, Democrats would gain control of the upper chamber. Republicans could gain a seat back in Alabama, the Times notes, though if Biden wins the presidency, the pendulum would again swing back to the Democrats.Because those seats are likely tied to Trump's own performance, he'll need to "run very close for us to keep the Senate," Charles Black Jr., a veteran Republican consultant, told the Times. "I've always thought we were favored to, but I can't say that now with all these cards up in the air," he said. Read more at The New York Times.More stories from theweek.com Cuomo says New York's coronavirus situation is back to where it was 21 days ago The president is unwell Trump wants praise for his coronavirus response. Here it is.




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